Maya and 33(11) were both present in the Bay this morning at about 08:00, then they disappeared for a couple of hours. Maya returned first, at about 10:00, and landed on the camera perch. 33 rejoined her at 12:15, and they came to the nest and did a bit of redecorating.

There was a report of an intruding Osprey in the Bay this morning – a female sporting a blue leg-ring. Unfortunately the number on the ring couldn’t be made out, but it is likely to be 2F(12), who was seen in the Bay earlier this month.

This afternoon, at about 13:00, visitors in the Lyndon Centre were treated to a great view of 33(11) flying past the windows on a fishing trip. We hoped he might fish in front of the Centre, but he flew off to the east and out of sight.

Maya and 33(11)

Recently, the question that everyone asks as they enter the Centre is “Are the Ospreys still here?” and then, at our affirmative answer, “When will they leave?” Well, as I have said previously, the answer we usually give is late August or early September, but given that this pair have not bred, that could differ for them. Ultimately, we just don’t know. Animal behaviour is always problematic to predict, which is not surprising, really, given that the behaviour of individuals rarely follows a set pattern.

According to records, Maya tends to buck the trend when it comes to migrating. Females are said to go first, before their juveniles, however this female always waits until all or most of her youngsters have left. In three of the four years she has raised young, Maya has migrated leaving one chick behind, and one year she left after they had all gone. Her partner, 5R(04), did not stick to the traditional beliefs about migration either. In two of his four years of breeding he did in fact leave last. However, in the other two, he left the nest before the female and one remaining chick.

It would seem that over the years she has bred, the dates that Maya has migrated have become steadily earlier, but always in September. In 2010 she left on 12th September, in 2011 on 9th, in 2012 on 3rd, and last year she migrated on 2nd. Prior to that, however, in the first year she spent at Rutland Water – 2009, when she did not breed – she migrated on 5th September.

In conclusion, it would seem that these dates tell us next to nothing, and no more light has been shed on the situation from collecting this information. Consequently, the answer to the question of when she will leave is still an “I don’t know”. We can speculate, of course, and it is entirely possible that this pair will stay later than usual, due to their bond with the nest, and the risk that once they have left it, another Osprey may try to stake a claim to it. Therefore, they may be the last two Ospreys in Rutland at the end of the season!